Some ramblings.

[kippurbird]

First, last night I was talking with my mom again. My dad (who had hip replacement) apparently was allowed to go upstairs and sleep back in his regular bed again, with my mom. So, I was asking about that. I asked "So he's allowed to go upstairs and sleep there now?" And my mom said yes. Then she smiled, it was a lecherous smile, I swear to God it was, and said, "I want to tell you something, but I don't think you want to hear it." Wisely I said, "No, I don't think I do." And she gave an small but evil laugh.

My mother frightens me sometimes.

Picture!

Teasing by ~Kippur on deviantART

Jono and Alec having a nice moment together.

Speaking of characters.

This is a bit of a throw back to the discussion about killing off characters and Paolini's idiotic views on it.

I was working on my novel last night, (I did like four thousand words yesterday) and I came upon a section where the characters were going into a situation which would eventually lead to a big fight. As I was plotting out the scene and sequences that would lead up to the battle one of the characters told me he was going to die in said battle. B|

I really like this guy. It's Darian, the wielder of the Lance of Ice. He likes making lance jokes and is a bit of a rogue. But he told me he's going to die. And while sad about this, he was also quite firm on this. And I'm upset. I don't want him to die. But he refuses to be swayed away from this point. This, he says, is what he is supposed to do. This is the end of his story. He'll die heroically and what's better than that? He'll save his friends and he's probably the only one who can do it.

To make matters even more interesting, another character, Hellena told me that she's in love with Darian. Though she'll never ever admit it in story. She and Darian have nearly killed each other several times. She even broke his nose at one point and I think he broke a rib of hers. They're complete polar opposites. But yesterday, I wrote this:

“Darian! Stay!” she ordered again. The guards shifted, pointing their weapons at Darian. He subsided, reluctantly, his head hanging down. Marlina wanted to move back to keep an eye on him, but it didn’t look like her guards would let her. Surprisingly, Hellena put her hand on his shoulder, whispering something into his ear. He looked startled, but nodded in agreement to whatever she said. Marlina wondered what she said to him, but it didn’t matter because it stopped him from doing something stupid. He always did something stupid for that stupid horse.

Instead of being horribly snide and bitchy, Hellena was actually kind to him, and comforting. Which is when she told me she was in love with him.

So, now I have a character death and an unrequited love to deal with.

Speaking of unrequited love, something just popped into mind.

Eragon and Arya's so called relationship. Everyone I've talked to has said that their relationship just doesn't work. And I think it's because Paolini is forcing the relationship. Neither of them are actually interested in each other. Eragon isn't even puppy crushing her. His views on her are strictly ascetic. Never do we hear about her personality when Eragon thinks about her, only her looks, which get waxed poetical adnausum. She's not a real person to him, merely an object to look at and admire. The only thing we know about Arya in regards to Eragon is that she finds him distasteful and rude. She avoids him as a matter of course. Now, this is the classic hate turns love situation that Paolini has put in and which will probably happen in the third or fourth brick, but it still won't work because she has no reason to care about Eragon. She has never shown a reason to care about him. And Eragon, as mentioned before, isn't interested in her as a person. This is not what a relationship is built on. But Paolini wants Eragon to have a True Love with the Beautiful Princess, so the two of them will be forced together and their relationship will never be true.

Unless Paolini suddenly becomes a master writer between brick two and three.

Comments

[trinadi.livejournal.com]

My characters don't seem to like telling me their going to die while I'm working out scenes. They only seem to like telling me that they've decided to act differently, so that I have to rewrite everything for them. I wonder how long it'll take for the 'representative' to tell me his name, or anything besides how he wants to act, for that matter.

Poor Darian, though. At least he's told you ahead of time. It is always awful when a character tells you they are going to die.

Oh and I agree about the whole Eragon/Arya thing. It's set up not to work and yet Pao is gong to make sure it does. Those unfortunate little artificial characters. They should be put out of their misery.

Anyway, back to editing.

[sonic-sues.livejournal.com]

My characters don't seem to like telling me their going to die while I'm working out scenes. They only seem to like telling me that they've decided to act differently, so that I have to rewrite everything for them.

Same here, although one time one of mine insisted that he was NOT going to die.

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

Did he die anyway?

[sonic-sues.livejournal.com]

Yes and no. I totally deleted him from the story because he sucked any way.

[reverie-shadow.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I've had a character (refer to avatar) that was like that, too, despite my various attempts. Characters can be sneaky bastards. But that's all part of the satisfaction of being a writer, I guess. I love it when they reach out to you like that, even when you may not be satisfied with the results (such as Kippur having to kill off a beloved character. I think every author with any empathy for their characters has been there).

As for Eragon and Arya...unless if Hell freezes over and Paolini finally starts listening to his characters, it'll probably be a very screwed up romance. Not that we expected any less. Although I just may actually come to respect Paolini if he didn't end his crappy novels with those two getting together, because I really don't think romance belongs in Paoliniland. He has no empathy for his characters, and he's probably never been in a real relationship before. Until you have experienced one or the other or both, he's going to have a difficult time with his Eragon/Arya pairing.
I've never been in a real relationship, yet I truly feel for my characters, and understand how much they mean to each other (I still tend to avoid the real sappy stuff like the plague, though). If you can't establish that connection, why bother?

Then again, I guess it's something you could ask about most of the things Paolini does: Why bother? I'll end this comment with a quote I stumbled upon today, which I truly think should apply to all of us as writers:

"No one can advise or help you--no one. There is only one thing you should do. Go into yourself. Find out the reason that commands you to write; see whether it has spread its roots into the very depths of your heart; confess to yourself whether you would have to die if you were forbidden to write. This most of all: ask yourself in the most silent hour of your night: must I write? Dig into yourself for a deep answer."

[christinaathena.livejournal.com]

I wonder how long it'll take for the 'representative' to tell me his name, or anything besides how he wants to act, for that matter. My characters often don't get names, unless they were named before I knew anything about them. One reason it's so hard to get them out of my head and onto paper. :-( I still don't know what naVesh's original name was, for example. NaVesh is a title given to him by his sister the Empress after he pretty much made her empress with his conquests* (prior to that her title was Duchess of the North East (I recently discovered that I had the map turned around 90 degrees, and that's why climates were all wonky))

I've also recently discovered that Chalana, the first empress, her name was a regnal name that she took upon establishing the empire. I don't know her original name, either. :-(

*I also suspect there's some unresolved incestuous sexual tension between those two, they seem unnaturally close for brother and sister. Nothing will ever come of it, though. I don't think naVesh is even consciously aware of it, and, while the Empress might be, she would never risk her status by engaging in something that's a major sin in her religion, and would result in - if she's lucky - deposing and exile.

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

Ehhe... Lorac took two years to tell me his name and another two to tell me he was in love with Alec.

Poor Darian, though. At least he's told you ahead of time. It is always awful when a character tells you they are going to die.

Yeah. It's very much on the sucky side. So far three characters in the book have told me they were going to die.

Oh and I agree about the whole Eragon/Arya thing. It's set up not to work and yet Pao is gong to make sure it does. Those unfortunate little artificial characters. They should be put out of their misery.

I could do that. >:D

[trinadi.livejournal.com]

Ehhe... Lorac took two years to tell me his name and another two to tell me he was in love with Alec.

Yes, but I would prefer Mr. representative tell me his name before I have to write the scenes where he talks to people he knows. Sure, its a book away, but he's told me everything else about himself. Sheesh, my teenage characters are so much more open.

Yeah. It's very much on the sucky side. So far three characters in the book have told me they were going to die.

I think this is purely to spite me, but about ten of mine just told me they're going to die in the battle in the end since I started reading 'the art of war.' I really want to be mean and eject one from the fighting just to hear them screaming in my head about being allowed to die. They can be so demanding, characters. You'd think they would be nicer to their creators.


I could do that. >:D

I want to help! Though maybe my methods would be a bit cruel. Ever watched the Saw movies? I'd be worse then the inescapable pieces.

[berseker.livejournal.com]

At least Darian was nice. My character usually wait untill the last possible second to tell what they´re planning to do. Or that they changed their mind and will just ignore my outlines thank you very much.

Sometimes I hate them.

As for Eragon... I was considering the possibility of Arya dying, but there was that prophecy thing going on, so I think we´re out of luck. He´ll write the most stilted romance in the world and that will be it.

(I say Katrina dies)

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

At least Darian was nice. My character usually wait untill the last possible second to tell what they´re planning to do. Or that they changed their mind and will just ignore my outlines thank you very much.

This is why I don't outline except for very loosely.

He´ll write the most stilted romance in the world and that will be it.


I think my mom should write the romance. XD

[sonic-sues.livejournal.com]

Unless Paolini suddenly becomes a master writer between brick two and three.

Hell will freeze over first.

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

Hee

[dove-cg.livejournal.com]

Unless Paolini suddenly becomes a master writer between brick two and three.

Well... Paolini is still be growing as a writer (regardless of how stunted his lack of major outside editing has left him), so it's possible the relationship might become passable at some point. But no, it will never be a fantastic and well-written romance. He'll be lucky if it becomes anything remotely decent.

[dungeonwriter.livejournal.com]

Poor Darien, may he die well!


As for Arya and Eragon, I think the problem is what you said, that they don't feel any...connection to each other. They don't really share much, and its' not even in terms of background.It's in terms of...connections. After all they went through, they should have some comfort with each other, some bond. A good writer can evoke that by the small gestures, like noticing each other's moods or likes or dislikes, becoming attuned to each other. And it's mostly Arya. I don't know who Arya is so it's hard to know why anyone would love her.

[karma-kalisutah.livejournal.com]

Eragon is a sociopath. That's apparent to pretty much everyone except for his writer. He's likely aromantic (though not, it would appear, entirely asexual) and thus, I would guess, uninterested in any relationship beyond a purely physical one. That's not exactly the stuff of epic romance.

[axilet.livejournal.com]

If Paolini acknowledged this (along with Eragon's murderous tendencies), I actually think I wouldn't mind reading about a not-quite-heroic hero who got the job done, if not in the most moral way. But clearly P. thinks the world of Eragon and the other characters fawn over him so nauseatingly. It's such a missed opportunity.

[blue-drag0nfly.livejournal.com]

How is he a sociopath exactly?